Method for producing olefin-sulphur dioxide resins



F. E. FREY .ET A1. 2,184,295

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I METHOD FOR PRGDUCING OLEFIN-:SULPHUR DIOXIDE RESINS I Filed Jan. s1, 1936 2 sheets-sheet l2 IN VEN TOR. FREDERICK E. FREY BY ROBERT D. SNOW ATTORNEYS.

` 1 form, it is practically necessary that the removhomogeneousthroughout thereaction. Inthe case Patented Dec. 26, 19.39

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOB PRODUCING OLEFIN-SUL- PEUR. DIOXIDE RESINS Frederick E. Frey and Robert D. Snow. Bartlesville, Okla., assignors to Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, Okla., a corporation of Delaware Application January 31, 1936, Serial No. 61,813 12 Claims. (Cl. 2ML-94)V The present invention relates, to the production form. This invention can, however, be applied to of resins, and in particular to the production of blends of these olens with such olefins as buten'es olefin sulphur dioxide resins. and pentenes in such proportions and at such tem- This invention has for its object the provision of peratures that the resulting resin is soluble in an apparatus and method for continuously proliquid sulphur dioxide, or at least absorbs suiilcient 5 ducing resins from oleflns and sulphur dioxide. sulphur dioxide from the reaction mixture to con- Additiona objects and advantages of this invert it to a fluid or plastic gel. It can also be vention will become apparent from a consideration applied to butenes, pentenes, hexenes and several of the specification. of the higher mono-oleflns. .The resins of butenes l0 Prior art references to the reaction of sulphur and higher oleiins are quite soluble in liquid sull0 dioxide and olens invariably describe batch phur dioxide, the solubility of the resin generally methods. Theapplication of such batch methods increasing with increase in molecular weight of to the production of olefin-sulphur dioxide resins the olefin. The solubility of the resin in the reacon a large scale would require a large number of tion mixture of sulphur dioxide and olefins in- 15 lreactors, or reaction chambers, made sufficiently creases also, with the result that mixtures of hex- 5 strong to withstand the pressures involved. If the eues or higher oleiins with more than a moderate resin is removed from these reactors in the solid excess of sulphur dioxide Will remain perfectly able heads or openings be as large in diameter as of -such higher olens the separation of the resin the reactor. These factors necessitate expensive as a second fluid requires a smaller excess of sul- 20 construction and high labor costs. phur dioxide. In the case of mixtures of butene- We have found that the olefin-sulphur dioxide 2 with not more than about 100 per cent excess of resins which aresoluble in liquid sulphur dioxide, sulphur dioxide the resin is not very soluble in the for example those of the mono-olefins containing reaction mixture and it .tends to separate as a four or more carbon atoms per molecule andthose heavy viscous solutioninsulphur dioxide. Because 25V of blends of propylene, and/or ethylene, with the butene resins are less soluble in liquid sulphur higher oleflns in which the higher oleflns predioxide,a greater excess is required to obtain a dominate, can be converted to resins in a continufluid resin phase. By suitable control of the comous manner. Application of the present invenposition of the olefin-sulphur dioxide reaction tion to the production of resins on a large scale mixture it is usually possible to obtain a separa- 30 should result in reduced investment and labor tion of the resin solution as a second liquid phase. costs as well as affording ameans of making a Paraifin hydrocarbons such as pentane or hexane more uniform product. may be added in limited. quantities to facilitate The idea of the present inventitn is to carry on the separation of the resin solution. In the procthe reaction of sulphur dioxide and an olefin body ess of this invention, the viscous resin solution is 35 under such conditions of proportions of reactants, removed continuously while adding the reactants temperature, etc., that the resin formed separates I and catalysts continuously in the proper proporas a second phase carrying with it sufficient sultion and is preferably subjected to flash vaporizaphur dioxide in a dissolved or adsorbed state to tion of most of the unreacted sulphur dioxide and form a fluid or plastic gel, removing this fluid or other volatile material. 40 plastic resin phase from the reactor in a substanl The apparatus and method for practicing the tially continuous manner while charging the reinvention will be evident from the following deactants and catalyst to the reactor in a substanscription ofv the apparatus and method of operatially continuous manner. l tion, when considered in connection with the This invention is based upon the solubility rela'- attached drawings, wherein, 45 tionships between the resin and the reaction mix- Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically, and partly ture "of sulphur dioxide and olefin. Ethylene, in detail, one form of apparatus for realizing the propylene,' isobutylene, isopropylethylene, and present invention, and j several ofthe conjugated diolens form with sul- Fig. 2 illustrates a modified detail of the invenphur-dioxidefsolid resins which have very little tion. f i "50 mutual solubility with liquid sulphur dioxide. With reference now to Fig. 1, a catalyst, an Due to the obvious probability of choking r clogolefin, and sulphur-dioxide are contained respecging the reactor, the present invention cannot be tively in any convenient type of storage containas readily and conveniently applied to the reaction ers such as the ones shown at I0, I I and I2. The

of any of these aforementioned olefins in a pure desired amounts of the catalyst, olefin, and sul- 55 phur-dioxide are drawn respectively through the pipes I3, I4 and I5 by the pumps I6, I1 and I8 and into a common pipe I 9, through which they flow to any suitable mixer 20. The mixer 20 may be of the centrifugal, jet, orice, baffle, or any other type desired.

The mxtureof the catalyst, olefin and Sulphurdioxide flows, or is forced from the mixer 20 through pipe 2'I into the reactor zone, or reaction chamber 22 wherein the resin reaction of the said mixture takes place.

During the reaction of the olefin, and sulphurdioxide, incident to the forming of the resin in the chamber 22, there is a small amount of heat generated by exothermic reaction which is usually not desirable. The temperature control in the chamber 22 may be effected in several ways. The reactor zone, or reaction chamber may be provided with internal cooling coils, or a jacket 23, as shown, may be provided, into which a cooling medium enters at 24 and after circulating therethrough leaves at 25. l

Another means of controlling the temperature within the reactor zone `22 consists in removing suicient sensible heat from the charge liquids, namely the catalyst o1e1n,and sulphur-dioxide, by passing them, or a part thereof, through a cooler 26 pr'ior to mixing and introducing them -nto the reactor. The pipes I4 and I5 carrying the olefin and sulphur-dioxide are shown passing through the cooler 26 and serve as coils I4 and I5', and are cooled by a cooling medium flowing through the cooler entering by pipe 21 and leaving by way of pipe 28.

This method of cooling has the advantage-of slowing down or preventing reaction during mixing and charging of the catalyst, olefin, and sulphur-dioxide.

The reactor chamber 22 may be cooled by any other suitable means or methods, which may lnclude the provision of a condensor 29 into which the vaporous products from the reaction within the chamber 22 iow through pipe 30 and are condensed and cooled before flowing back through pipe 3I as reflux to cool the reactor.

It is frequently advantageous to agitate the charge undergoing reaction in the chamber 22, and to effect this an agitator 32 is shown mounted therein on a shaft 33 which may be supported and driven in any suitable manner.

As the viscous resin solution forms in the bottom of the reactor, it is removed substantially continuously through pipes 34, 35 and 35a which have interposed therein the respective control valves 36, 31 and 31a. The pipes 35 and` 35a lead to expansion chambers 38 and 38a. The viscous resin solution may pass through a heater shown at 34' before entering the expansion chamber. It is preferable to flow the viscous resin solution into but one expansion chamber at a time, so by opening the valves 36 and 31 the resin solution flows from the reaction chamber 22 through pipes 34 and 35 into the expansion chamber 38 where most of the volatile materials are removed by flash vaporization and the resin is obtained in a very porous expanded form. 'I'he expansion chambers 38 and 38a are used alternately, one being lled with the viscous resin solution from the reaction chamber 22 while vapors and resin are being discharged and removed from the other. As many expansion chambers of the type shown at 38 and 38a as are needed or desired may be used, in accordance with the capacity of the reactor chamber 22. To facilitate the ash vaporization of the viscous resin entering the expansion chambers, or zones, heating means of any suitable type rmay be provided, and heating coils 39 and 39a are shown as one means of heating the chambers. Each chamber 38 and 38a is provided with a suitable means of removing the resin, and in the structure shown it takes the form ofthe doors 40 and 40a.

Vapors are exhausted from the resin and the expansion chambers 38 and 38a through the pipes 4I and 4Ia, which are controlled by the valves 42 and 42a, and which connect through pipe 43 with the vacuum pump 44. The vapors so withdrawn from the expansion chambers are cooled in the-condenser 45 through which a cooling medium flows, entering at 46 and leaving at 41. From the condenser xed gases are vented through the pipe 48 and bled out of the system, and therein the sulphur-dioxide and hydrocarbons are liquefied and passed by a pipe 49 to a storage tank or accumulator 50, and thence into pipe I through which they are forced by the pump 52 through the coil 52 of the cooler 26, for the purpose previously described, and then into pipe I9, mixer 20, and pipe 2I to the reactor chamber 22. If the'condensate mixture recovered in the condenser 45 contains a non-reactive hydrocarbon, such as butane or pentane, it may build up in concentration in the reactor chamber 22 and the expansion chambers 38 and 38a and slow down the reaction. To compensate for.

- distilled overhead through the pipe 51 into the condenser 58, and through pipe 59 to the storage tank or accumulator 60. The fractionating column may be provided with any suitable heating means such as the steam coil shown at 56 and there may be interposed in pipe 55 any type of suitable pump 55a and preheater 551: which is shown diagrammatically in the drawing. Through the condenser 58 there is circulated any suitable cooling medium which enters through pipe 6I and leaves through pipe 62. From the fractionating column 56 sulphur-dioxide is drawn off at the bottom through pipe 63 as a kettle bottom product and introduced into the accumulator 50 from whence it flows through pipe 5I and ultimately reaches the reactor chamber 22.

The fractionating column is subjected to a reux condensate, and to effect this vapors are led off from the top of the column through pipe 64 and after passing through the reflux condenser illustrated diagrammatically at 65 then ow through pipe 66 into the top of the column 56. Any suitable means for cooling the reflux condenser may be employed, and in the drawing it is illustrated as being cooled by a cooling medium which enters through pipe 68 and leaves lbyway of pipe 61.

By employing the above described apparatus and method, resins derived from olefins and sulphur dioxide may be produced in a continuous I uninterrupted manner.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated a modified structure and method of receiving and treating the viscous resin solution as it is removed from the reactor zone, or reactio-n chamber 22 through the pipe 10 controlled by the valve 1I. The pipe 10 extends through the top wall of and into a housing 12 which is a heat vaporization chamber or All) zoarand which takes the place of the several ex#- p on chambers 38 and 38a described in connection with Fig. l. Within the chamber 12 there are mounted a pair of pulleys 13 and 1l which are driven by any suitable means and upon which there is carried an endless conveyor belt 15 upon which is continuously deposited the visvuous resin solution from the reactor chamber 22. The viscous resin expands while in the chamber 12 due to the heat therein and to the removal therefrom of the vapors through pipe 16 drawn from the chamber by the vacuum pump M. The vapors are then treated and the condensate is recycled and utilized as described in connection with the invention as illustrated in Fig. l. As the viscous resin solution is carried through the expansion chamber by the conveyor 15 it expands .,and becomes a porous resin, and as it reaches the -end of the conveyor it is scraped from the belt 15 by a doctor blade, or similar scraping tool 11 in such a manner that it falls into a hopper 18 in which are mounted suitable disintegrating or pulverizing rollers 19 and 80 which reduce the porous expanded resin to any desired form. The resin then falls into and through the chute 8l and is collected in any suitable container such as the one illustrated at 82. 4

Thus it will be appreciated that this invention relates to a method of producing resins derived from olefins and sulphur-dioxide wherein the resins are of an expanded porous nature, and that the above description of this invention clearly describes the method of producing such resins and the apparatus for executing the method.

Having described our invention, what we claim is:

1. The continuous process of producing hetero- `polymeric resin products of the reaction of sulphur dioxide with an olenic body which forms a yresin product soluble in liquid sulphur dioxide,

- which comprises charging to a reaction zone the said olenic body and sulphur dioxide in liquid phase continuously in such proportions, together with a catalyst for promoting the reaction, that a solution of resin product will separate from the reactants, withdrawing the said solution of resin product continuouslyl from the reaction zone and vaporizing volatile materials from the solution of resin` product.

2. A continuous process for the manufacture of olefin sulphur dioxide resins of the type which are soluble in liquid sulphur dioxide which comprises continuously feeding a mixture of hydrocarbon gases containing olens which react with sulphur dioxide to form sulphur dioxide soluble resins, an excess of sulphur dioxide, and a catalyst for effecting the reaction, to a reaction zone under sufficient pressure to maintain at least a substantial portion of said olefins and sulphur dioxide in liquid phase,`said clef-ins and sulphur dioxide being in such proportions that a solution of resin product will separate from the reactants, substantially continuously. withdrawing said solution of resin product to a zone of low pressure suicient to remove said excess sulphur dioxide and unreacted constituents of said hydrocarbon mixture from the solution, separating the excess sulphur dioxide from the unreacted hydrocarbons and recycling at least a portion of said sulphur dioxide to said reaction zone.

3. A process for continuously producing resins formed by the reaction of oleflnic bodies and sulphur dioxide, which comprises continuously feeding an olefinic body of the type which reacts with sulphur dioxide to form a resin soluble in sul- A 3 phur dioxide, an excess of sulphur dioxide over that required for reaction, and a catalyst for .the reaction to a reaction zone under sufllcient pressure that a liquid phase of olenic body and sulphur dioxide exists and reaction takes place, controlling the proportions of the reactants such that a second liquid phase is formed containing said resins in solution in the excess sulphur dioxide, continuously withdrawing said solution to a heated zone of low pressure to remove part of the vaporizable constituents of the solution, with- `drawing and condensing the condensable constituents of said mixture to separate any fixed gases therefrom, and recycling said condensable constituents to the reaction zone.

4. A process for continuously producing resins formed by the reaction of olefinic bodies and 'sulphur dioxide in the liquid phase, which comprises substantially continuously feeding a hydrocarbon mixture containing olenic bodies which react with sulphur dioxide to form resins soluble in sulphur dioxide, an excess of sulphur dioxide over that required for the reaction, and a catalyst for the reaction to a reaction zone .maintained under said solution to a zone of low pressure wherein most of the volatile constituents of said solution lare removed therefrom and said resin isproduced in solid form, separating any fixed gases from the volatile constituents and condensing the remainder thereof, and separating any nonreactive constituents from the liquefied sulphur.`

dioxide.

5. The process of producing olefin-sulphur dioxide resins, which comprises continuously charging to a reaction chamber u nder a superatmospheric pressure a liquid mixture comprising an olefinic body which reacts with sulphur dioxide to form a resinous material soluble in liquid sulphur dioxide, sulphur dioxide in an amount substantially in excess of an equimolar equivalent of said olenic body, and a suitable catalyst, controlling the proportions of the reactants such that a solution o-f resin product will separate from the reactants, removing from said reaction chamber the heat developedvtherein by reaction between said olenic body and sulphur dioxide, whereby a substantially constant temperature is maintained in said reactionchamber, withdrawing fro the bottom portion of said reaction chamber said solution containing the yresin produced in said chamber and rapidly vaporizing vvolatile materials from said solution, whereby said resin is continuously obtained in a porous solidform.

6. In a process for producing a resinous mate-Y v amount-substantially in excess of the equimolar quantity of olefinic material in said mixture and a suitable catalyst to a reaction chamber, which contains a vapor zone and a liquid zone wherein reaction takes place, controlling the proportion of the reactants to form a resinous product which collects in the bottom portion of said liquid zone an equimolar quantity of sulphur dioxide to form a' resinous product soluble in liquid sulphur dioxide, the steps which comprise continuously feeding a liquid mixture containing as reactants such an olenic body and sulphur dioxide, said sulphur dioxide being present in excess of that required as a reactant, and a suitable catalyst to a reaction chamber'under sulcient pressure to `maintain at least a major portion of said reacltants in a liquid phase in said reaction chamber,

whereby reaction takes place, controlling the proportion of the reactants to form a. resinous product which separates in the lower portion of said reaction chamber as a viscous second liquid phase containing uncombined sulphur dioxide, removing from said reaction chamber heat developed therein, withdrawing substantially continuously from the bottom portion of said reaction chamber said viscous liquid and recovering said resinous product therefrom.

8. In a process in which an olenic body reacts with approximately an equimolar quantity of sulphur dioxide to form a resinous product soluble in liquid sulphur dioxide, the steps which comprise continuously feeding aliquid mixture containing as reactants such an oleilnic body and sulphur dioxide, said sulphur dioxide being present in excess of that amountrequired as a reactant, to a4 reaction chamber under suicient pressure to maintain at least a major portion-of said reactants in a liquid phase in said reaction chamber, promoting a reaction between said olenlc body and 'said sulphur dioxide controlling the proportion of the reactants such that a resinous product is formed which' separates in the lower f a catalyst-for promoting the reaction, maintain lng a'reaction temperature and a superatmospheric pressure such that said reactants are present together in a ilrst liquid phase, charging said reactants in such proportions that a solution comprising resin products separates from said reactants as a second liquid phase, and lsubstantially continuously withdrawing a material comprising said second liquid phase from said reaction zone.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the olenic material comprises a normal butene.

11.The process of claim 9 wherein the olenic material comprises a normal pentene.

12. The process of claim 9 wherein the oleilnic material comprises a normal hexene. k FREDERICK E. FREY.

- ROBERT D. SNOW. 

